Bus incentive-penalty scheme shows encouraging results, says LTA

Under the trial, operators SBS Transit and SMRT are given a baseline excess wait time (EWT) for selected bus services. The EWT is the additional time commuters spend waiting for a bus on average when it does not arrive at its schedule timing. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

By Royston Sim

SINGAPORE - A trial that employs a carrot-and-stick approach to get buses to run at regular intervals has shown encouraging results so far, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Monday.

From February to April, the LTA has placed seven SMRT services and eight SBS Transit services on the trial.

Buses are arriving slightly more regularly on SBS Transit services 17, 52, 3, 39, 228, 242, 241 and 325, according to figures provided by the LTA.

Meanwhile, SMRT routes 176, 184, 188 and 858 have also shown improvement, while its feeder routes 901, 911 and 302 arrived less regularly in April.